ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has given the go signal for Task Force Asis to start early next week the demolition of hundreds of illegal structures along public places and sidewalks.
Task Force Asis executive director Robert Dumanil said that Executive Order 004 Series of 2010 was issued by the city mayor last July 16 calling for restructuring and strengthening the anti-squatting and illegal structures task force.
The order is in consonance with provisions of Republic Act 7279, which local government units will adopt measures to curtail illegal activities of professional and squatting syndicates.
The order also appoints Dumanil anew as Task Force executive director to implement the law and remove illegal structures and squatters declared as nuisance on city public places and properties.
The new executive order is a restructured version of Executive Order No. 14 issued in 1990 that prohibits the use of sidewalks, public places and plazas for the construction of stalls, kiosks for commercial purposes and other constructions declared as nuisance and shall be summarily removed or demolished.
Earlier, Mabilog is also eyeing to buy a towing vehicle to get out vehicles illegally parked along the side streets that hinder the smooth flow of traffic. Also to be removed are old and junked vehicles left on the side streets.
Dumanil said he had already issued notices to owners of illegal structures in the central business district area as priority demolition will start Tuesday, July 27.
He will also send notices to owners of illegal structures and stalls in other streets in the city proper, Jaro, La Paz, and the diversion road in Mandurriao district to voluntarily take out their structures before the demolition date. (Lydia C. Pendon)